The Science Behind a Great Tanning Lotion

DHA, skincare, colour correction and what’s next. Amy gets the inside scoop from Consol’s Head of Products & Training, Sophia Turki.

We’ve had quite the year for tanning lotions at Consol. Viral favourites, clever new formulations and ingredients that sound straight from an expensive skincare counter. But how do we decide what’s actually good enough for our customers?

I caught up with Sophia, our Head of Products & Training, to talk bronzer season, the science and the products she’s already investigating for 2027. She tests lotions through real life, not just for five minutes in front of a mirror. And she has absolutely no time for an orange bronzer. Quite right.

Amy: You keep calling autumn “bronzer season”. Explain yourself.

Sophia: There’s method behind my madness! After summer, routines change and customers may visit less often. A bronzing lotion can give a cosmetic colour boost between sessions. DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, reacts with amino acids in the outermost layer of skin to produce temporary colour over several hours. Cosmetic bronzers give more immediate colour, while natural bronzing ingredients can contribute to the finish.

Amy: So it’s not just about how dark a product looks when you first put it on. It’s what happens later, too.

Sophia: Exactly. And choosing a formula that suits the person using it.

Amy: Cult Classic is here. What’s the science behind it?

Sophia: Cult Classic is an Ultra Dark Time Released Triple Black Bronzer, combining DHA, natural and cosmetic bronzers. But I also like the colour correction and skincare. Blue Tansy is used to help counteract the appearance of orange tones, and the CC Cream Blend helps skin look more even.

It also contains ceramides, which help reduce moisture loss and support the skin barrier, plus peptides, Kakadu Plum and BodyFit firming technology, designed to improve the appearance of firmness and cellulite.

Amy: And winter skin? The heating goes on and suddenly we’re all dry.

Sophia: Exactly. Cold weather and indoor heating can contribute to dryness, so the moisturising side of a formulation really matters. Ceramides are lipids naturally found in the skin barrier. Peptides are familiar from facial skincare, and Vitamin C is widely used in antioxidant and brightening formulations. Customers recognise these ingredients now and rightly ask what they do.

Amy: Which is why “contains a fashionable ingredient” is not, on its own, a reason to stock something.

Sophia: Absolutely. The finished formula has to perform.

Amy: Take me through the Sophia stress test. Jeans? Gym? School run?

Sophia: All of it. I look at how easily a lotion spreads, how quickly it absorbs, whether it feels tacky and how the fragrance changes through the day. I wear different clothes and carry on with normal activities. For DHA products, I check the developed colour later, often around 24 hours, and I test repeatedly.

Then we get feedback from other testers and staff, including people with different skin types, sensitivities, ages and preferences. We also need a range of prices and products for different customers.

Amy: So a beautiful bottle can still get rejected?

Sophia: Easily. If it’s difficult to apply, smells unpleasant later or develops an orange or uneven finish, it’s not for us. We have high standards, as do our customers!

Amy: Colour correction feels like make-up science meeting tanning.

Sophia: It is colour theory. We’ve seen blue-hued Prismatica, purple-hued Dirty Blonde and Blue Tansy in Cult Classic. These ingredients and pigments are intended to influence the appearance of the final colour, rather than simply make it darker. I expect more work in this area.

Amy: And what’s coming after that?

Sophia: More sophisticated formulas, more peptides and K-beauty-inspired skincare. I’m watching emerging ingredients such as exosomes, but interest in an ingredient isn’t proof that every finished product containing it works. I want evidence and a good formulation.

Amy: How does all that knowledge reach customers in studio?

Sophia: Through our Glow Technicians. We train them to understand what products contain, what they’re designed to do and who they may suit. Customers can tell us what they use, what they like and what they want from a lotion. Sometimes the right recommendation isn’t the newest or most expensive bottle.

Amy: One last thing. Any 2027 secrets?

Sophia: I can’t say much, but there are exciting products I’m keeping an eye on. We’re also researching how the BOOST range might evolve. Nothing confirmed yet.

Amy: A suspiciously well-practised answer. I’ll try again next time.

The bit that matters

Don’t get us wrong, we love a new ingredient or a bottle that pops like the best of them. But what makes a product worthy of a Consol Customer is less glamorous: research, repeated testing, honest feedback and Glow Technicians who can explain what’s inside the bottle.

Good products. Proper knowledge. Recommendations that make sense for you. That’s the standard.

Now, Sophia. About those secrets…

Amy x

Editorial note: Interview edited for clarity and length. Ingredient benefits describe cosmetic formulation purposes, not guaranteed individual results. Please obtain Sophia’s approval of attributed wording before publication.